[Tim Green]Football Hero : A Football Genius Novel(pdf){Zzzzz}

Ty Lewis can't believe it when Coach V recruits him for the football team. This is Ty's big chance to prove how fast he is on the field, get a fresh start in a new school, and be like his older brother, Thane "Tiger" Lewis, who's about to graduate from college—and is being courted by the NFL.

But Ty's guardian, Uncle Gus, won't let him play. Uncle Gus needs Ty to scrub floors and toilets for his cleaning business while he cooks up gambling schemes with the local mob boss, a man called "Lucy."

When Lucy hears just how famous Ty's older brother is, he becomes suddenly friendly. Are the questions Lucy is asking Ty really about fantasy football . . . or is the Mafia using Ty to get valuable insider info from his superstar brother? Desperately worried, Ty must come up with a plan to save Thane's football career—and, ultimately, his life.

Author of the New York Times bestselling Football Genius, former NFL player Tim Green will have you on the edge of your seat rooting for Ty—and enjoying an up-close look at what it's like to be inside the NFL.

Publisher: HarperCollins; Reprint edition (March 24, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0061122769
ISBN-13: 978-0061122767

Editorial Reviews
From School Library Journal
Grade 5–8—After the death of his parents, 12-year-old Ty Lewis moves into a trailer park with his aunt's family. The boy is constantly reminded by his Uncle Gus that he should be grateful that they took him in and allow him to sleep on the floor in the laundry room and to use the port-a-potty set up outside. At school, Ty is teased about the pillowcase he uses for a backpack and for his second-hand clothing. Football is the one bright spot in his life. Ty is the fastest kid at school, and the football coach has noticed him. But Ty's dreams of playing on the team are derailed when his uncle demands that he work every evening after school. Things start to turn around for Ty when his older brother, Thane, signs with the NFL. Suddenly Ty is thrown into the spotlight of an illegal gambling ring run by the local mob. Uncle Gus, a compulsive gambler, forces Ty to reveal sensitive information about injured players on Thane's team. Ty and Thane come under the scrutiny of the FBI who wants to close down the gambling ring. Author Tim Green skillfully narrates his fast-moving sports thriller (HarperCollins, 2008) along with a full cast of excellent voice actors. As a former NFL star, Green knows exactly how to convey the game's excitement and suspense. Fans of sports stories and thrillers will enjoy this action-packed tale.—Wendy Woodfill, Hennepin County Library, Minnetonka, MN
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
“Even better than Football Genius...lots of fast-moving action and suspense...sure to be a hit.” (KLIATT starred review)

“Instantly gripping...[keeps] the tension level high and the pages flipping furiously...sure to have a great many fans.” (Kirkus Reviews)

“[T]he moral choices faced by the hero are heart-wrenchingly realistic, while the detailed description of the world surrounding the life of a professional football player will appeal to the many fans of the sport.” (Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA))

“riskly paced, ... a good bet for sports-minded reluctant readers.” (School Library Journal)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

Another Great Young Reader Book From Tim Green
By Healthy Writer on October 2, 2008
Writer Wellness: A Writer's Path to Health and Creativity
Other reviewers have done a great job explaining the plot of "Football Hero" by Tim Green. Anyone who reads this book will enjoy the story and the satisfying "good guys win with a compromise" ending. What is just as valuable is Green's writing style for young readers and the voice he projects in this title and last year's book "Football Genius."

Green has experience writing adult thrillers and non-fiction about life in the National Football League. Young readers get to partake of his writing talents and skill with all things literary by reading his new books. The language is accessible, the chapters are comfortable and managable in length, and the action is well considered. Green turns a not so good situation for a teenaged boy who has lost his family into a winning final score by giving young Ty Lewis a conscience. His choices to do the right thing are influenced by his older brother Thane's sage like stories of advice and this brings them closer while they are healing over the loss of their parents. There are many brotherhoods featured in "Football Hero" and Green prioritizes them so that readers understand that brothers can and should be able to count on each other for anything.

Courtesy of Teens Read Too
By TeensReadToo on April 23, 2008
Ty Lewis' parents have died in an accident, so he has gone to live with his dad's sister, Aunt Virginia, and Uncle Gus. Ty's older brother is Thane (aka Tiger) Lewis, a hopeful NFL first-round draft pick from Syracuse University. Thane and Ty are close, but because Thane is finishing up his college degree, Ty is forced to remain with his aunt and uncle.

Living with his aunt and uncle is horrible. Ty remembers the loving home he came from, and misses his parents terribly. His relatives make him sleep on a stained mattress on the floor in the laundry room. His uncle has scavenged an old Porta Potti that he forces Ty to use instead of the indoor plumbing. And now it's his twelfth birthday. Ty doesn't expect anything exciting, and it's even worse than he thought possible. His uncle presents him with a work permit allowing Ty to work for the family cleaning business. So while Ty and his cousin, Charlotte, spend their evenings after school scrubbing toilets and floors, his uncle sits back and drinks beer and socializes.

Ty has two shining spots in his life: his brother, Thane, and the chance to play on his middle school football team. Ty is fast and has sure hands. Coach V has great plans for Ty for the upcoming season. But his Uncle Gus does everything he can to keep Ty from playing football and away from his brother.

Then, Thane gets his draft pick and is worth millions. Uncle Gus enters into illegal gambling with the mafia, and Ty and Thane are the unwitting pawns. With the intervention of the FBI, Ty may come out better or worse than he started. But you have to read the story to see how the plot twists and turns.

I admit that I have never heard of Mr. Green before reading this story